Stressed Out Students: Examining Medical Student Communication With Calm and Hostile Standardized Patients

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Health Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Commonly used in medical education, standardized patients (SPs) are individuals specially trained to facilitate medical instruction in a safe and supportive environment. Interactions with SPs in preclinical years allow for practice of clinical and communication skills in a setting where educators give feedback and evaluate performance to prepare students for real patient encounters. SPs generally provide low-stress encounters by being friendly and cooperative. While this training has prepared medical students well, it remains largely unknown how interactions with uncooperative, hostile SPs affects students. In this study, a SP was randomly assigned to display either calm (control) or hostile (experimental) behavior and SP and medical student communication was recorded. Linguistic analysis was employed and cortisol readings were taken from students following the interactions. The primary aim of this research is to assess felt stress and monitor language used by SPs and medical students during these high and low stress encounters.

Authors

• Lindsay Neuberger, University of Central Florida

• Daniel Topping, U of Central Florida

• Sabrina Ghim, U of Central Florida

• Sofia Hsu, U of Central Florida

• Erica Landis, U of Central Florida